[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 90 (Monday, July 8, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H4332-H4335]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          FORT CLATSOP NATIONAL MEMORIAL EXPANSION ACT OF 2002

  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2643) to authorize the acquisition of additional lands for 
inclusion in the Fort Clatsop National Memorial in the State of Oregon, 
and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 2643

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Fort Clatsop National 
     Memorial Expansion Act of 2002''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) Fort Clatsop National Memorial is the only unit of the 
     National Park System solely dedicated to the Lewis and Clark 
     Expedition.
       (2) In 1805, the members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition 
     built Fort Clatsop at the mouth of the Columbia River near 
     Astoria, Oregon, and they spent 106 days at the fort waiting 
     for the end of winter and preparing for their journey home.
       (3) In 1958, Congress enacted Public Law 85-435 authorizing 
     the establishment of Fort Clatsop National Memorial for the 
     purpose of commemorating the culmination, and the winter 
     encampment, of the Lewis and Clark Expedition following its 
     successful crossing of the North American continent.
       (4) The 1995 General Management Plan for Fort Clatsop 
     National Memorial, prepared with input from the local 
     community, recommends the expansion of the memorial to 
     include the trail used by expedition members to access the 
     Pacific Ocean from the fort and the shore and forest lands 
     surrounding the fort and trail to protect their natural 
     settings.
       (5) Expansion of Fort Clatsop National Memorial requires 
     Federal legislation because the size of the memorial is 
     currently limited by statute to 130 acres.
       (6) Congressional action to allow for the expansion of Fort 
     Clatsop National Memorial to include the trail to the Pacific 
     Ocean would be timely and appropriate before the start of the 
     bicentennial celebration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition 
     planned to take place during the years 2004 through 2006.

     SEC. 3. EXPANSION OF FORT CLATSOP NATIONAL MEMORIAL, OREGON.

       (a) Revised Boundaries.--Section 2 of Public Law 85-435 (16 
     U.S.C. 450mm-1) is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``(a) Initial Designation of Lands.--'' 
     before ``The Secretary'';
       (2) by striking ``coast:'' and all that follows through the 
     end of the sentence and inserting ``coast.''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new subsections:
       ``(b) Authorized Expansion.--The Fort Clatsop National 
     Memorial shall also include the lands depicted on the map 
     entitled `Fort Clatsop Boundary Map', numbered `405-80026C-
     CCO', and dated June 1996.
       ``(c) Maximum Designated Area.--The total area designated 
     as the Fort Clatsop National Memorial shall not exceed 1,500 
     acres.''.
       (b) Authorized Acquisition Methods.--Section 3 of Public 
     Law 85-435 (16 U.S.C. 450mm-2) is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``(a) Acquisition Meth-
     ods.--'' before ``Within''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(b) Limitation.--The lands (other than corporately owned 
     timberlands) depicted on the map referred to in section 2(b) 
     may be acquired by the Secretary of the Interior only by 
     donation or purchase from willing sellers.''.
       (c) Memorandum of Understanding.--Section 4 of Public Law 
     85-435 (16 U.S.C. 450mm-3) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``Establishment'' and all that follows 
     through ``its establishment,'' and inserting ``(a) 
     Administration.--''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(b) Memorandum of Understanding.--If the owner of 
     corporately owned timberlands depicted on the map referred to 
     in section 2(b) agrees to enter into a sale of such lands as 
     a result of actual condemnation proceedings or in lieu of 
     condemnation proceedings, the Secretary of the Interior shall 
     enter into a memorandum of understanding with the owner 
     regarding the manner in which such lands will be managed 
     after acquisition by the United States.''.

     SEC. 4. STUDY OF STATION CAMP SITE AND OTHER AREAS FOR 
                   POSSIBLE INCLUSION IN NATIONAL MEMORIAL.

       The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct a study of the 
     area near McGowan, Washington, where the Lewis and Clark 
     Expedition first camped after reaching the Pacific Ocean and 
     known as the ``Station Camp'' site, as well as the Megler 
     Rest Area and Fort Canby State Park, to determine the 
     suitability, feasibility, and national significance of these 
     sites for inclusion in the National Park System. The study 
     shall be conducted in accordance with section 8 of Public Law 
     91-383 (16 U.S.C. 1a-5).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu) each will 
control 20 minutes.

[[Page H4333]]

  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne).
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2643, as amended, would allow for the expansion of 
Fort Clatsop National Memorial, the only unit of the National Park 
System solely dedicated to the Lewis and Clark expedition. It 
commemorates the camp where the Corps of Discovery spent the winter of 
1805 to 1806. As we approach the bicentennial of this monumental 
expedition, our Nation continues to draw inspiration from this great 
journey across the American West.
  The expedition, led by Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, 
gave birth to new interest in the American frontier as they provided 
the first detailed information about the Northwest that ultimately led 
to a steady procession of settlers into the region. These explorers 
made their trek following President Thomas Jefferson's orders to 
explore the Missouri River to its source, establish the most direct 
route to the Pacific Ocean, and to make scientific and geographic 
observations.
  They were also instructed to learn about the Indian tribes they would 
meet along the way and attempt to impress them with the strength of the 
United States and to report back regarding their observation. After 
their great journey across the continent, the members of the Corps of 
Discovery spent the winter of 1805-1806 at Fort Clatsop before 
beginning their return trip back east.
  This legislation would also authorize the National Park Service to 
study the suitability and feasibility of three sites in the State of 
Washington, all of which have significance to the expedition, for the 
possible inclusion as units of the National Park System. This 
expansion, supported by all property owners within the boundaries, 
would help prepare for the influx of visitors expected during the 
upcoming bicentennial. We commend all parties who have worked together 
on this legislation to address some issues of concern that came up 
during committee consideration.
  This is a good bill that is supported by the administration as well 
as both the majority and the minority, and I urge my colleagues to 
support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. WU asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the sponsor of H.R. 2643, the 
Fort Clatsop National Memorial Expansion Act. I am joined by my 
colleague, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird), who is an 
original cosponsor of the bill.
  It has taken a lot of hands to bring this bill to the floor today and 
I would like to thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the 
ranking member, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) of the 
Committee on Resources, and from the Subcommittee on National Parks, 
Recreation, and Public Lands, the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Radanovich) and the ranking member, the gentlewoman from the Virgin 
Islands (Mrs. Christensen).
  Closer to home, I would also like to thank Willamette Industries for 
its cooperation in making this bill possible and Willamette Industries' 
successor in interest, Weyerhauser. Without the cooperation of these 
two Northwest businesses and their employees and executives, we would 
not be here today with a successful bill.
  And even closer to home, I would very much like to recognize the hard 
work and diligence of Cameron Johnson on our staff who has worked on 
this bill since his first day as a staffer on Capitol Hill. And I would 
also like to recognize his predecessor Bill Minor, who unfortunately 
has gone to the University of Washington for law school. But Bill is 
from Astoria, Oregon, and Fort Clatsop is literally in his back yard.
  Fort Clatsop is the western terminus of the Lewis and Clark 
expedition. This bill authorizes expansion of its boundaries from 130 
acres to 1,500 acres. The expansion would permit the national memorial 
to reach the ocean and to accommodate the expected 1 million visitors 
for the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition. These million-
plus visitors will see a nearly exact replica of the fort in which 
Lewis and Clark wintered over in 1805 on the Oregon coast. They will 
see a forest that is approximately the same as what Lewis and Clark 
saw. Our trees are currently about that size because of timber harvests 
about 75 or 100 years ago. And historians think that Lewis and Clark 
saw a similar forest because of a great earthquake which occurred 
approximately 100 years before they reached the Oregon coast. Visitors 
will also undoubtedly enjoy a decent dose of Oregon rain.
  The Lewis and Clark expedition spent 106 days at Fort Clatsop over 
the winter of 1805-1806. Out of those 106 days, there were 6 sunny 
days, 6 cloudy but rainfree days and 94 days during which the 
expedition enjoyed what we would call in Oregon liquid sunshine and in 
the rest of the country it would be called rain.
  Also this expansion will permit visitors to access the Pacific Ocean. 
This was, after all, the western terminus of the epochal Lewis and 
Clark expedition.
  It serves us well to remember that like so many other scientific and 
exploratory adventurers, the discoveries and achievements which were 
made by this expedition were made through great adversity and 
frequently while they were looking for something else.
  The expedition started planning when the territory was under French 
and Spanish sovereignty. By the time the expedition actually left, 
President Jefferson had purchased much of the territory from Napoleon. 
President Jefferson envisioned part of the expedition's goal to be 
creating a series of trade alliances with a string of Indian nations 
along the trail. History proved otherwise. Both the Indian nations and 
the United States had other pressing priorities.
  And, finally, the expedition was to search for a waterway to the 
great West, the great hope of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a 
hope which floundered on ignorance of geography and geology, in this 
case the intervening Rocky Mountains. But Lewis and Clark was an 
epochal achievement and a success, despite the zigs and the zags and 
the partial planning successes.
  Meriwether Lewis grew up near here in Ivy, Virginia, about as near to 
this spot in the city of Washington as Fort Clatsop is to my home in 
Oregon. Lewis and Clark and the expedition walked, paddled boats, rode 
horses and crossed more than 6,000 miles over a longer than 28-month 
period, and when they were through, they asserted America's claim as a 
transcontinental Nation and made another bold stroke in removing the 
words ``I can't'' from the American lexicon.
  As important amongst the achievement of Lewis and Clark is in 
history, so are the vision and the values; the vision of America as a 
vibrant, growing Nation; the values of courage and perseverance. These 
endure with us today in our time of trial, trial from abroad by those 
who hate and who hate especially our diversity and our liberty; trial 
from within by those who abuse the freedom and trust that America has 
bestowed.
  This is a bill to expand Fort Clatsop, and at its bicentennial it is 
appropriate to commemorate and celebrate, but we also do well to 
remember, not for history's sake alone, but to remember that we have 
continued to walk in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark on a journey of 
discovery, and to remember that beyond any horizon the future cannot be 
known with certainty. But with vision and values, courage and 
persistence, we will continue in the tradition of Lewis and Clark at 
Fort Clatsop, and we shall meet our destiny well.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. 
Baird).
  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from 
Oregon (Mr. Wu) for working to ensure that Southwest Washington will 
play a role in the Lewis and Clark commemoration through this 
legislation. I also want to thank the chair and the ranking member of 
the committee, and particularly the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) 
for his strong support of this bill and for his strong support of the 
National Park System in general.
  The bicentennial commemoration of Lewis and Clark's expedition is 
just a year away. They began their journey back in 1803. And in 2003 
communities across our Nation will begin commemorating the Corps of 
Discovery and

[[Page H4334]]

the promises they back with their journey.
  It is my hope that during this commemoration Americans will visit 
important stops along the journey of discovery, including Station Camp 
and Fort Canby along with Fort Clatsop. On November 18 in 1805, William 
Clark stopped at Station Camp, sometimes referred to as Megler's Rest, 
stopped and proclaimed, ``I am in full view now of the ocean.'' It is 
hard to imagine what that must have felt like for the Corps, having 
traveled clear across the country in lands no American had seen before. 
But there in Washington State that is what he said and that is what 
they saw.
  It was also at this historic site that they took a critical vote, 100 
years before suffrage, 60 years before the Emancipation Proclamation. 
The Corps of Discovery voted where they would spend the winter. In that 
vote they included Sacagawea, and York, who was Clark's black slave, 
100 years before suffrage and 60 years before emancipation, the entire 
Corps voted on the critical matter of where they would winter at my 
good friend's district at Fort Clatsop.
  Today I welcome the opportunity to express my strong support for this 
legislation which seeks to expand Fort Clatsop National Monument, the 
only unit in the National Park system that is solely dedicated to the 
amazing journey of Lewis and Clark. And of great importance to my 
district is the legislation's inclusion of study language to authorize 
study for the inclusion of Station Camp and Fort Canby within the Fort 
Clatsop National Memorial. Although Station Camp is considered the end 
of the voyage, it is also true that the Northwestern part of the 
journey included what is now Fort Canby where Lewis and Clark led a 
small team to the actual coast. And you can only imagine what it must 
have been like to stand there on what is now called Cape 
Disappointment, look out over the ocean, and hoping that a ship would 
be there to take you home, but seeing none, you realize that you would 
spend the winter in that wonderful but also cold and wet environment, 
and then trudge by foot, boat and horseback all the way down the 
journey you had just traced.
  This legislation calls for the Park Service to work collaboratively 
with the States of Oregon and Washington, the Indian tribes and the 
others in the local communities on the expansion of Fort Clatsop and a 
study including new sites before the start of the bicentennial of the 
Lewis and Clark expedition which is planned to take place between 2003 
and 2006.
  Companion legislation has already passed the Senate. I want to thank 
our Senate colleagues in both Oregon and Washington for their 
leadership. I want to thank the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu) for his 
leadership, and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder) and the 
committee chair and the ranking member.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage passage for this important piece of 
legislation.
  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend my good friend and colleague 
from Washington (Mr. Baird) for his work and especially for pointing 
out this signal election and these early, wise westerners who, I must 
point out for the record, voted to go to Oregon as so many others have.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. 
Hill).
  (Mr. HILL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)

                              {time}  1730

  Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be a cosponsor of H.R. 2643, 
the Fort Clatsop National Memorial Expansion Act of 2002. I urge its 
adoption.
  I became interested in this bill because the people I represent in 
Clarksville, Indiana, and the other communities surrounding the Falls 
of the Ohio have a unique connection to Fort Clatsop and nearby Station 
Camp in the State of Washington.
  In October 1803, Lewis and Clark first met at the Falls of the Ohio, 
recruited the first members of the Corps of Discovery and departed for 
the West from Clarksville, Indiana, later that same month. It then took 
more than the 2 years for the Corps of Discovery to reach the Pacific 
Ocean nearby present-day McGowan, Washington.
  As many know, our country will begin commemorating the bicentennial 
of the Lewis and Clark expedition next year. Both the Falls of the Ohio 
and the lower Columbia region surrounding Fort Clatsop will host 
national signature events to mark important moments in the journey.
  Mr. Speaker, the upcoming bicentennial has caused many of us to more 
carefully examine the history of the Lewis and Clark expedition. In 
doing so, we have discovered many more important sites, like the Falls 
of the Ohio and Station Camp, Washington, that have not been properly 
recognized in the past. The Falls of the Ohio has now been certified by 
the National Park Service as an official site associated with the Lewis 
and Clark national historic trail.
  I hope the National Park Service will quickly perform the feasibility 
study required by this bill to add the Washington State sites to the 
Fort Clatsop national memorial.
  In closing, let me join President Bush in urging all Americans to 
observe the Lewis and Clark bicentennial and participate in activities 
to honor the achievement of this important expedition.
  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I would be remiss if I did not mention two additional individuals in 
closing and that is Cindy Orlando, former superintendent of Fort 
Clatsop National Memorial, who was superintendent of the memorial for a 
long time and worked on many aspects of this memorial, including this 
expansion. I would also like to recognize the current superintendent, 
Don Stryker, who is moving on to Mt. Rushmore. He will be getting a 
little bit more granite, but no more spectacular scenery than he has 
had at Fort Clatsop.
  Don has been terrific in working with the park service, with the 
committee and with us in bringing this bill forward; and I would just 
like to share a moment when Don provided us with an opportunity to be 
at Fort Clatsop after sundown, and under the growing shadows and with a 
roaring campfire nearby, it was very easy to imagine what it would be 
like to go back 200 years to experience what the explorers experienced. 
It is also difficult to imagine what they had to endure to get there.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. 
Baird).
  Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to add also that another 
individual who has worked tremendously hard on this is Dave Micandri, 
head of the Washington State Historical Society. It was his vision and 
persistence and tireless effort to make sure Station Camp was included 
in this legislation. He has done a marvelous job, and I also want to 
commend the good people of Long Beach and Ilwaco, Washington, who have 
worked tirelessly to ensure that their part of the story gets told, 
along with the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu).
  This is a tremendous opportunity. In addition to recognizing, 
hopefully, these expanded national park areas, we should note that Mia 
Lin is developing a series of sculptures, part of a confluence project 
at a series of installations that will take place at four different 
locations along the confluence of rivers reflecting the cultural 
integration, symbolized by the rivers merging. It should be a profound 
and exciting piece of work and something that will be a treasure for 
many years to come.
  Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird) for working 
diligently with me, and I thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. 
Osborne) for his courtesies.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kolbe). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2643, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

[[Page H4335]]

  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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